straw ring
As spring deepens, the company organized a spring team building activity at an eco-farm in the suburbs, which included fruit picking, outdoor activities, and hands-on crafts.
On the bus, the colleagues chatted excitedly.
Lin Jingshang and Xie Dang were not seated together; they were separated by several rows of seats.
Upon arriving at the farm, they were divided into groups for activities, and Lin Jingshang and Xie Dang were placed in the same group.
In the morning, we picked strawberries. The greenhouse was warm and humid, with red fruits dotting the green leaves.
Lin Jingshang bent over, carefully selecting ripe strawberries. Occasionally, when he looked up, he could always see Xie Dang not far away, working very seriously.
"Mr. Xie, the way you pick strawberries is like taking samples in a laboratory," a bold colleague in the same group joked with a laugh.
Xie Dang, expressionless, picked up a strawberry: "75% ripeness, plenty of sugar."
Everyone burst into laughter, and Lin Jingshang couldn't help but smile.
Lunch was a self-service barbecue, which Xie Dang was clearly not good at. He stood in front of the grill with his skewers in hand, frowning slightly.
Lin Jingshang couldn't stand it anymore, so he went over and took the skewers from his hand: "Let me do it, I'm familiar with these."
He skillfully brushed on the oil and flipped the food over.
Xie Dang stood beside him, watching his movements, and silently distributed the grilled meat skewers to the team members.
The afternoon's craft workshop was straw rope weaving. The teacher taught simple weaving techniques and let everyone use their creativity. Most of my colleagues made bracelets or simple decorations.
Lin Jingshang tried to weave it for a while and made a crooked, ring-shaped thing. Just as he was about to take it apart, a hand reached out from the side and took the ugly grass ring away.
Xie Dang held the grass ring, examined it for a moment, then disassembled it in several places and re-woven it. In just a few minutes, a perfect grass ring appeared on his finger.
He handed the straw ring to Lin Jingshang: "All done."
Lin Jingshang stared blankly at the brand-new ring on his palm. His colleagues noticed and started to tease him.
Wow! Mr. Xie is a real talent!
"Jing Shang, what are you standing there for? Hurry up and try it on!"
Lin Jingshang's ears turned red as he held the grass ring, unsure whether to wear it or not.
Xie Dang remained calm and looked at Lin Jingshang: "The size should be just right."
These words only fueled the commotion.
Lin Jingshang felt his cheeks burning and quickly slipped the grass ring onto the ring finger of his left hand; the size was just right.
"Thank you..." he said softly.
Xie Dang nodded and turned to deal with the unfinished straw rope in his hand.
On the bus ride home, Lin Jingshang looked down at the unique grass ring on his ring finger, his heart filled with joy. He secretly took a picture of himself wearing the grass ring and set it as his phone's wallpaper.
The straw ring eventually dried out and fell apart after only two days on Lin Jingshang's finger due to the material's properties, but the photo he took of it remains in his phone's photo album.
---
Spring has truly arrived; the sun is shining brightly, and even the breeze blowing across the terrace carries a warm feeling.
Under Xie Dang's intermittent technical guidance, the string of coins plant on Lin Jingshang's windowsill grew increasingly plump, with layers of leaves resembling strings of emerald green coins.
The potted plant in Xie Dang's office became even more audacious, growing a white porcelain flowerpot.
During his lunch break that day, Lin Jingshang came to the terrace as usual and found Xie Dang already there, bending down to tend to the thriving mint plant in the corner of the balcony. He gently plucked a few of the tenderest leaves from the top with his slender fingers and put them into a small glass bowl next to him.
"Why are you picking mint?" Lin Jingshang asked curiously as he sat down on the chair next to him.
"Soak it in water." Xie Dang handed him the glass bowl. "Try it."
Lin Jingshang took the bowl, which contained a few tender mint leaves. He went to the tea room to get warm water, and the green leaves released an even fresher aroma.
He took a sip, and the coolness of the mint soothed his soul, with a hint of sweetness, making it taste even better than when brewed with dried mint leaves.
"Delicious!" he exclaimed sincerely, taking another big gulp.
"Hmm." Xie Dang watched him finish drinking the water before speaking, "This plant is growing too fast and needs to be pruned frequently."
Looking at the lush mint plant, Lin Jingshang suddenly recalled the bag of coffee beans he bought when he synced his shopping cart and his later attempts at hand-drip coffee. It seemed that many things started out as forced by the system, but ultimately they all went in a better direction that they chose themselves.
"Thank you, Dang."
Lin Jingshang put down his cup and looked at the mint leaves in the spring sunshine.
"You know, if we... I mean, if we had a house with a balcony in the future, wouldn't we be able to plant even more?"
After he finished speaking, his heart was beating a little fast, and he pretended to stare intently at the mint leaves.
Xie Dang remained silent for a few seconds.
"It's worth considering, but you need to take into account factors like sunlight, ventilation, and load-bearing capacity. Mint prefers sunlight, but it needs some shade in the summer. You could also try planting common herbs like basil and rosemary, which would have a higher utilization rate."
His answer was calm and objective, but Lin Jingshang heard a definite answer in it—he had imagined that "what if".
Lin Jingshang turned his head to look at Xie Dang, whose gaze was fixed on the mint, his expression focused.
"Can basil be used to make pesto?" he asked with a smile.
Xie Dang nodded: "Yes, it goes well with pasta, and rosemary is good for roasted meats."
On the terrace in spring, they chatted and painted a vivid picture of the future.
---
A sudden spring rain enveloped the city, drizzling softly. An external meeting that was originally scheduled for the afternoon was canceled at the last minute, giving Xie Dang a rare period of free time in his office.
After finishing his work, Lin Jingshang looked out the window at the continuous spring rain, picked up his phone, hesitated for a moment, and sent a message to Xie Dang.
[Lin Jingshang]: It's raining. Did your meeting get canceled?
[Xie Dang]: Yes, it's canceled.
A little while later, another message came in.
[Xie Dang]: Do you want to come over?
Lin Jingshang looked at the invitation, a slight thought crossing his mind. He replied: 【Okay.】
He stood up, picked up his thermos and phone, and walked towards the CEO's office. He pushed open the door; only a desk lamp was on inside.
Xie Dang leaned back on the sofa, his eyes closed, with that familiar thin blanket covering his legs.
Hearing the door open, he opened his eyes and looked at Lin Jingshang: "Finished with work?"
"Hmm." Lin Jingshang sat down on the single sofa next to him and placed his thermos on the coffee table. "What are you listening to?"
Xie Dang took off one of his wireless earphones and handed it to him: "Rain Sound."
Lin Jingshang, somewhat curious, took the headphones and put them on. The sound of raindrops hitting various surfaces came through the earphones, calming his mind.
"Is this white noise?" he asked in a low voice.
"Yes, it helps me relax." Xie Dang closed his eyes again.
Lin Jingshang leaned back on the sofa and closed his eyes.
He didn't know how much time had passed, and he was almost falling asleep in this tranquility when he felt movement beside him. He opened his eyes and found Xie Dang looking at him with a deep gaze.
"Are you alright?" Xie Dang asked.
"Mmm." Lin Jingshang took off the earphones and handed them back to him. "They're very comfortable."
Xie Dang took the headphones: "If you like them, I'll send you the link."
The rain is still falling, showing no signs of stopping.
---
Lin Jingshang is now very familiar with the built-in mini-fridge in Xie Dang's office. It usually contains only three things: black coffee, mineral water, and a specific brand of sugar-free Greek yogurt.
That afternoon, Lin Jingshang was feeling dizzy from writing a report, so he wandered into Xie Dang's office, hoping to get something to eat.
He opened the small refrigerator, glanced past the coffee and water, and went straight to the row of Greek yogurt. He picked up a bottle and unscrewed the cap.
"Wait a minute." Xie Dang's voice came from behind the desk.
Lin Jingshang paused, turned around, and asked, "What's wrong?"
Xie Dang put down the documents and walked over, taking the yogurt bottle from his hand. He glanced at the date on the bottle and frowned slightly: "This bottle expires tomorrow."
Lin Jingshang: "...So?"
"Drink this bottle." Xie Dang took a bottle with a more recent production date from the refrigerator and handed it to Lin Jingshang.
"That bottle is mine."
Lin Jingshang, holding the new yogurt, watched Xie Dang calmly take the bottle that expired tomorrow, drink it down in a few gulps, and was a little confused: "No... Mr. Xie, ah no, Xie Dang, is it really necessary to make such a fuss over just one day?"
Xie Dang threw the empty bottle into the trash can, wiped his mouth, and said in a flat tone, "As for your sensitive stomach, you need to be careful."
Lin Jingshang: "..."
My stomach is perfectly healthy! My last fever was because of a draft! It had absolutely nothing to do with yogurt!
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